Patriots.com News Blitz - 5/1/2013

Wednesday, May 01, 2013 6:37 AM EDT

By Mike Hacku

Staff Writer

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reports that former South Florida defensive tackle Cory Grissom has signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, according to a source. NFL.com Senior Analyst Gil Brandt recently ranked Grissom as the top undrafted defensive tackle.

A three-year starter at South Florida, Grissom was projected by ESPN to be a fifth-to-sixth round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, but injuries over the course of his college career may have contributed to him going undrafted.

"The Patriots have Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick as their top returning interior linemen, while Armond Armstead of the Canadian Football League could be a factor," writes Reiss.

"Now Grissom joins the mix and his profile as a two-down run-stuffer seems to fit closest to Love’s."

Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com reports that the Patriots have released guard Brian Waters, terminating his contract from the reserve/did not report list.

"The former All-Pro joined the Patriots in September 2011 on a two-year deal and had a Pro Bowl season for the AFC Champions but decided he wanted a raise or a trade in 2012," writes Curran. "He got neither and was put on the Reserve/Did Not Report list."

It's unclear whether or not Waters will try to resume his playing career.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins wanted to select wide receiver Josh Boyce over linebacker Jelani Jenkins in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft.

"The Dolphins had a high fourth-round grade on TCU receiver Josh Boyce," writes Salguero. "They got on the phone with Boyce at the top of the fourth round and told him they were going to select him with the seventh pick of the round, No. 104 overall.

"But as soon as Boyce got off the phone with Miami, the New England Patriots called and told him they were going to pick him with the fifth overall pick in the round. The Patriots had acquired that pick earlier in a trade with Minnesota."

Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com shares his post-draft Patriots roster reset, and lists newly-acquired LeGarrette Blount as fifth on the running back depth chart.

"An area of depth got deeper with the addition of Blount," adds Yates. "He’s a niche player -- not an every-down back -- and the Patriots have a nice stable of talent in the backfield."

"It’s conceivable that Belichick would view him as a Swiss army knife, sort of a low-rent Aaron Hernandez in that he can be moved around, deployed in multiple sets and packages as an option that could put stress on an opposing defenses," adds Price. "As long as Tom Brady is upright, it makes zero sense to have him on the field as a quarterback, so you’re certainly not going to utilize him as a quarterback."